Mills' Bitters A.M. Gilman

Update on the Mills' Bitters

The first listing for the Mills' Bitters in California is in, The Shasta Courier, July 22, 1854. It shows H. Gilbert of Shasta, Cal. selling it.

Here is an ad from the Nashville Union and American, Dec. 2, 1855. It shows what the Mills' Bitters was made for and from whom. It was highly advertised in Nashville, Tenn. during the 1850's.

 

 

The first listing for A.M. Gilman is in the San Francisco directory 1854. He is listed at 106 Battery St. S.F.

 

Next in 1856 he is at 82 Front St. and established the company name, A.M. Gilman & Co. in 1855

 

 

1861 -  324 Front St.

 

1862 - 414 Front St.

 

1864 - 409 Front St.

 

1871 - 322 Washington St.

 

1873 - 308 California St.

 

1876 - 308 California St. "Lick House" Billiard Saloon

 

1880 - 1516 California St.

 

There is no listing for A.M. Gilman after 1880.

 

The newspaper ads I found for A.M. Gilman start in 1857.

The first one is in the, Daily Alta, April 2, 1857

 

 

 

Next is in the, Red Bluff Beacon, April 11, 1861 and August 7, 1862

 

 

 





 Daily Alta, August 2, 1873

 

 

 

Daily Alta, Nov. 27, 1874

 

Daily Alta, Dec. 20, 1875

Daily Alta, June 4, 1876

Daily Alta, August 12, 1877

Daily Alta, Jan. 31, 1878

Daily Alta, August 14, 1878
This is the first and only ad for the Mills' Bitters and the very last ad for A.M. Gilman.

Strange that Mr. Gilman waited until the end of his career to produce the Mills' Bitters. After this ad in 1878, he is only listed one more time in 1880. He is listed as a merchant at 1516 California St. After that he disappears. Shortly after Mr. Cassin takes over the brand. Mr. Gilman had a 26 year run in the liquor business.  He had only one liquor business in the Santa Cruz area fail.

But, the great thing that A.M. Gilman did is produce a rare one year only Western Bitters.
Thanks Mr. Gilman